Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.: I May Vote for Romney

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., says he does not know if he will vote for President Barack Obama or the presumptive GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, adding that his vote will depend solely on how his constituents view the contest, according to a report in the National Journal.

“The people in West Virginia, they basically look at the candidates—whatever you’re running for, whether it be the president itself, or whatever—[they look at] the performance and the result that’s been attained,” Manchin explained. “Right now in West Virginia, these first three and a half years haven’t been that good to West Virginia. So, then you look [at] what the options will be, who will be on the other end.”

If Manchin sticks to his announced personal voting calculus, it would appear nearly certain that Romney will win his vote, the National Journal reported. Obama lost West Virginia by 13 points in 2008 and remains unpopular there. Furthermore, his state has backed the Republican candidate in the last three presidential elections.

Despite the history, Manchin maintained in a statement Friday that he is still watching whether his constituents “feel connected” to Romney, the National Journal reported.

Manchin won his seat in a 2010 special election to serve out the term of the late Sen. Robert Byrd. He has a record of disagreeing with President Barack Obama, especially regarding environmental and fiscal policy.